This invention relates to a method for fabricating prescribed or predetermined flaws in the interior of metal body members.
Ultrasonic waves are presently used to analyze metal objects to determine whether or not they have internal flaws such as cracks or irregularly shaped voids. However, in making these evaluations, it is important to know the characteristics of these various shapes and sizes of flaws. In order to develop standards by which to evaluate the flaws found in unknown metal objects, it is necessary to manufacture or fabricate metal objects having flaws therein of predetermined known shape and configuration. These samples can be used as a standard to evaluate the ultrasonic results obtained from unknown metal bodies, and thereby can be helpful in evaluating the flaws which may appear as a result of ultrasonic evaluation.
These types of samples are used by researchers in testing their theory and modeling results and in calibrating their flaw detection instruments.
However, the production of models presents a difficulty in that the flaws within the models must have known size, shape and orientation. Since they are located internally of the metal body, it is difficult to fabricate them. The ability to fabricate prescribed flaws in the interior of metals has wide application in non-destructive evaluation research and methodology.
Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of a method for fabricating prescribed or predetermined flaws in the interior of metal body members.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a method for fabricating these prescribed flaws with precision so that the exact size, shape and orientation of the flaw is known with certainty.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a method which is simple, economical, and easy to practice.